RTW 2024 Carefree Travel

  We’re back. After 46,000 miles, 25 new countries, and untold islands, it was great to see the Manhattan skyline and Lady Liberty. We had a final day on the boat, so we decided to get into town and see the 9-11 Memorial. Before that, we woke up early to watch the sail-in. A little too early as we were still 20 miles off the NJ coast while eating breakfast! Eventually, we saw Sandy Hook on the port side and the Verrazanno Narrow Bridge ahead of us. For many folks on the boat, it was either their first time to NYC or at least the first time they'd arrived by sea - so it was nice to act as a "tour guide" and show them the sights. Although Coney Island and the Belt Parkway might be stretching it a bit as "sights." Eventually, The Statue Of Liberty, the famous Staten Island Ferry, and the Financial District of downtown Manhattan came into view as we sailed up the Hudson towards Pier 90. No matter how often you experience it, the sights and the skyline are still magn

Today, we pulled into Hamilton, Bermuda. Downtown. Quite literally. We moored off Front Street, with a great view into some waterside office buildings, shops, and condos. At this point in the world cruise, we're thinking more about packing (a daunting task) and going home. So we elected to spend the short day doing some shopping and lunching at a neat restaurant we visited as a family about 20 years ago. It was still there - and the food was just as good. Bermuda is a small archipelago of 181 islands situated about 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina. Its total land area is 21 square miles (54 km2), although most of the largest islands are connected by bridges, so it seems as if it's one large island for the 72,000 inhabitants. Bermuda is well known for four reasons—either as the home of Bermuda Shorts, as a tax haven, the pink beaches, or as the apparent target of almost every hurricane forming in the North Atlantic.  Its name comes from the Spanish explorer Juan de Berm

  Today, we visited the Azores, another set of islands in the Atlantic Ocean. They’re a group of nine volcanic islands about 850 miles west of Portugal, set in a 2-5-2 formation. To prove we’re truly heading home, they are about 1200 miles southeast of Newfoundland. We actually have to travel east-south-east to reach Bermuda, our next port of call. Allison went shopping and I took a walking tour of downtown Ponta Delgada - the unofficial capital and largest city. Considering they’re literally stuck in the middle of nowhere, the islands are impressive. Most have at least 3000 ft peaks and Pico Island maxes out at 7700 feet - the highest point in Portugal. When measured from the sea floor, the mountains in the Azores are some of the largest on Earth. The volcanoes are still active, averaging one event every 30 years. The large major blowup was 1957, so we’re overdue. Fortunately, nothing happened during our visit, although everywhere you look, there are cinder cones and volcanic remnants

  We’re back! The first stop on our Westward transatlantic crossing is Funchal, on the island of Madeira. Regular readers may remember that we were here on Day 134. This is a small but well-populated island about 300 miles off the coast of Morocco. It was uninhabited until discovered by the Portuguese in 1419 and is now a proud part of that country. You can read all about its history in that post. Our first visit here was centered around a large World Cruise party, so this time around, we decided to see the island and maybe do some shopping. First thing in the morning, we visited Cabo Girão. These are the tallest sea cliffs in Europe, measuring almost 2000 feet in height. Since you asked, the tallest cliffs in the world are on the northern coast of Molokai in the Hawaiian Islands, reaching 4,000 feet. You’ll see the view is quite impressive. Even more impressive was Allison standing on the glass skywalk with nothing else between her and the ocean below. You can look straight down unde

  Today marks the beginning of the final segment of our global voyage, as we sail from Lisbon to New York with a few more island stops along the way. That's about 3,500 miles remaining. We decided to explore Lisbon via the Hop On Hop Off Bus and throw in a bit of shopping. That gave us an overview of the city. Portugal is very politically active right now. There are banners, temporary stands, and rallies everywhere, which spoilt the view in a few areas, so I’ve included a couple of photos from our 2019 visit as well. First.. a micro-history to help you win Jeopardy. This area has been inhabited for 400,000 years (!), tracing all the way back to our homo heidelbergensis ancestors. There is quite a rich archeological history. Fast forward a bit; the Romans were here for several centuries and divided the area into two - Lusitania (as in the old cruise liner torpedoed by the Germans in 1915) and Gallaceia (hence the Gauls). After the fall of Rome, the Visigoths settled in, followed b